Amnesty International - TikTok Study

Are these types of report are relevant to Primary schools? The answer is yes, definitely. Don't forget, to use most social platforms you have to state that you are 13 or older. Even if you're a Year 4 aged child, to that platform you are at least 13 years of age.

There have been countless concerns over recent years in relation to algorithms and the type of content that is fed to children and young people across the various platforms they use. This latest study from Amnesty International delves deeply into the very significant concerns around the algorithms used within TikTok specifically in relation to self-harm, where children who signal an interest into mental health are quickly led down rabbit holes of some very disturbing content which can heighten risk, exacerbate an existing vulnerability or act as a trigger.  "When you 'heart' a sad video that you could relate to, suddenly my whole 'For You' page is sad and I"m in a sad-tok. It affects how I'm feeling ".

The report is quite big but you will find a lot of useful information in the executive summary which can also be used to help with conversation starters with students. The full report is HERE and there is an accompanying report about the massive amount of personal/private information collected by TikTok called 'I feel Exposed' HERE.